


It's only us

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robron week 2019 [4]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Happy Husbands, M/M, Some angst, picnic 2.0, surrogacy talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 18:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18371840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Robron Week Day 4: ColoursRobert plans a picnic for Aaron because they need some alone time





	It's only us

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt is in there! if you squint a little ;)

"Liv!” Robert said happily when she walked into the Mill. “How is my favourite sister in law today? How did your test go?”

Liv narrowed her eyes at him.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing! Just making conversation. Do you want a brew?”

“I’m good.”

“Alright. Have you eaten yet? I could make you a sandwich.”

“Cut the bullshit Robert. What do you want?”

Robert sighed and sat down at the kitchen table and waited for Liv to do the same.

“You probably haven’t really noticed but things have been a bit… tense… between me and Aaron lately.”

Liv snorted.

“I’ve noticed. Everyone’s noticed. You two are constantly either snapping at each other or ignoring each other. Even Seb’s noticed.”

Robert’s face fell. The last thing he wanted was for his son to get caught in the middle of two fighting parents.

The thing was, it wasn’t that they didn’t love each other anymore or that they were unhappy, they were both just stressed out.

They’d found a surrogate in England, a nice woman called Chloe from Manchester who was more than happy to help them and agreed to their terms on how involved she’d be after the baby was born. Only the baby was never born because she miscarried. Which had been a huge blow to everyone. They’d mourned the baby they’d never have and after a while decided to try again. Only Chloe didn’t want to put herself through the whole ordeal again.

Which is where they were now. They were still searching and had even met with a few women, one of whom they really liked and liked them, but she’d just started seeing someone new and it wasn’t really the right time and she’d have to talk about it with her new boyfriend first.

She’d promised she’d let them know soon.

Which had been almost 3 weeks ago.

Aaron especially was getting more and more anxious with every day that went by without a call or email or anything from Tanya. And the stress of it all was starting to take its toll on their marriage.

“Did he say anything to you?”

“Sort of.” Liv shrugged. “He was worried Aaron was going to leave because when Rebecca and Ross were shouting at each other, Ross left and his mum was sad. And he doesn’t want you to be sad.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That Aaron isn’t going anywhere and that he loves you and him very much.”

“And he accepted that?”

“I think so.”

Robert ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He thought they’d kept Seb out of everything but that little boy was way too smart and perceptive for his own good sometimes.

“I’ll talk to him tonight… We both will.” He decided.

Liv nodded.

“So then… what did you want from me?”

“Oh right, yes. Can you watch Seb for a few hours this afternoon?”

“Why?”

“Because… Aaron and I need an afternoon off. Just him and me. Sort things out and get away from the baby stress for a bit.”

“And how were you planning on doing that?”

Robert smiled.

“A picnic.”

“You what? Have you met Aaron? Do you think he’ll sit down in the middle of a field and eat cucumber sandwiches?”

“You’d be surprised the things your brother will do when I ask him to.”

Liv scrunched up her face.

“If I say yes, will you stop talking?”

Robert laughed.

“He’s up at the farm with Isaac but they’re going to visit nana Barton this afternoon so Moira will drop him off on the way there.”

“Sure.” Liv said and got up to get herself a drink.

“And I need you to text Aaron for me.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m not sure he’ll come if I do.” Robert said and bit his lip. They’d been at each other’s throats the night before and had barely said two words to each other that morning.

Liv sighed and unlocked her phone.

“What should I say?”

“Tell him to meet you at the cricket pavilion because you need to talk to him.”

“You realise this is stupid right? If I wanted to talk to him I’d just go see him at the scrapyard. He knows that.” Liv said as she typed the message.

“Humour me.” Robert said and laughed when Liv rolled her eyes at him.

“He’s on the way home from a scrap run, he’ll be home in an hour. He’s asking me what’s wrong.”

“Tell him not to worry. That you just want some big brother time.”

“Big brother time? I never say that. He’ll think I’m being held at gun point or something.”

“You got any better ideas then?”

“I’ll think of something.” Liv said. “Don’t you have some shopping to do or sandwiches to make or something? It won’t be much of a picnic without food.”

Robert smiled and hugged Liv and kissed the top of her head in passing before grabbing his jacket and wallet and heading to David’s.

Roughly an hour later Robert had spread out an old blanket on the grass near the pavilion and checked and re-checked he’d packed Aaron’s favourite food and beer.

The weather was getting better and it was warm enough to ditch his jacket. He sat down and looked around. Everything was green and the flowers were starting to bloom. He closed his eyes and tilted his face towards the sun, enjoying the warmth on his skin and feeling the stress slowly leave his body.

“Rob?” he heard Aaron say a few minutes later. “What are you doing here? Where’s Liv?”

Robert stood up and brushed non existent dirt from his jeans.

“Liv’s not coming.”

Aaron frowned.

“What do you mean Liv’s not coming?”

“She’s at home with Seb. I asked her to text you for me.”

“Why?”

“I uh… didn’t think you’d come if I asked you.” Robert said, looking at his shoes.

“What? Why?” Aaron asked and then remembered their fight. “Did you think I was still angry from last night?”

“You’re not?”

Aaron shrugged.

“Not sure I ever really was. Just… not that good at waiting, you know.”

Robert nodded and reached out to take Aaron’s hand.

“Me too. Please don’t think I don’t care or don’t want it anymore… because I do, I do want it. So much.”

“I know.”

“I just… bury myself in work so I don’t have to think about it all day. I’ll go crazy waiting for a phone call or text or something. Every time my phone rings I get a heart attack thinking it’s Tanya saying she won’t do it.”

“I know. Me too.” Aaron sighed and wrapped his arms around his husband, breathing in his cologne and feeling his heartbeat through his shirt. He pulled back a little and pressed a kiss to Robert’s lips. “I’m sorry.”

Robert shook his head.

“Don’t be. We’re both stressed out. We’re both at fault. Even Seb’s noticed.”

“Is he ok?” Aaron asked, worried.

“He was worried you were going to leave because we were yelling at each other. And when Ross and Rebecca yelled at each other he left and she was sad.”

“Did you tell him that won’t happen with us?”

“Liv did. But we should probably talk to him tonight.”

Aaron nodded.

“We will. I don’t want him worrying over us.” He said and only then seemed to notice the blanket and the cooler at their feet. “What’s all this then?”

“I made us a picnic. I promise, no cucumber sandwiches.” Robert joked. “I wanted to get you on your own for a bit.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.

“Not like that!”

“Pity.” Aaron said. “I seem to remember we put that cricket pavilion to good use last time we were out here for a picnic.”

Robert laughed.

“Maybe later. If you play your cards right.”

“Promises, promises.” Aaron teased and kissed Robert again before sitting down and opening the cooler.

They sat and talked for a while, enjoying the food and each other’s company.

“It’s nice out here.” Robert said, lying back on the blanket and closing his eyes. “We should take Seb with us next time. He’ll like it. Have a kickabout.”

“Yeah. That’d be nice.” Aaron agreed, lying down next to him and snuggling up to him. “I could fall asleep like this.”   

“Me too.” Robert said and grabbed his phone to set an alarm but sat up when he noticed he had a missed call from Tanya.

“Rob? What’s wrong?”

“Tanya called me. I forgot I had my phone on silent.”

“Did she leave a message?” Aaron asked and Robert nodded. “Put it on speaker.”

“Hi Robert, it’s Tanya… I guess you’re busy right now… but I tried calling Aaron and he’s not answering either. So anyway uhm… it feels a little weird to be doing this over the phone… in a voicemail even… but I’ve decided I’ll do it. I’ll be your surrogate if you still want me. Call me back. Bye!”


End file.
